The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-04-14

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Emporia has been quietly |
jogging along as if she had but little /
interest in the matter. until one day |
about a couple or three weeks ago she |
awoke to the fact that an incipient |
boom had struck her, seemingly with |
out generalization and without any es-
pecial effort on the part of her citizens. |
And this furry, which was caused by |
perfectly natural and clearly percepta-
BILE causes, was not, like some of the |
boOms now progressing with more or
less energy throughout the state, |
caused by few option sales made to
order, but was started by one or two
heavy transfers being made to entire
strangers who had been in the city
quietly taking pointers for several days,
and who, after thoroughly satisfying
themselves that they had struck town
that was going to get there, invested
their money so quietly that it was hard
ly noticed until the transactions had
been recorded and the sales published
as matter of news by the daily papers.
Previous to this the city was seem
ingly indulging in season of consid-
cradle depression as regards business
of all kinds, and there were more
houses, both business and residence,
for rent than had ever been known
since the founding of the place. 1t
was common remark to be heard in
the mouths of visitors that the town
was dead. And even the citizens them
selves, especially the ''croakers, were
predicting all kinds of evils for our
beautiful city. The streets were
thronged with idle men, growing and
grumbling because they had no work,
who expended their breath in praise of
other places and in defaming the place
of their residence.
But, as if by magic, all this has been
changed more or less. Residence
houses for rent are now proverbially
scarce as angels visits, the empty stores
have been taken by new firms, and the
men who thronged the streets grumb-
ling because, as they alleged, they
could not obtain work, have either gone
to work or have been forced to stop
scr 1aking,'' as it is too self evident a
fact that the demand for labOrers is
much in excess of the supply, and that
the contractors have been unable to
obtain as many hands as they were in
need of. But this latter want is easily
supplied, as every train brings men
anxious and eager to labor. The
/ former want, however. will undoubt-
eddy be felt, and unless more residence
houses are built for renting purposes,
the want will be wOefully known ere
the summer is past.
The improvements now in progress
and others on the verge of commencing
of themselves are enough to give a
| town of even larger population than
ours, boom, sufficient to keep it go
ing for some time to come, even were it
not known that three more railroads
are to be built within a year, much of
the work of which will have of necessi-
ty to be done at Emporia.
Besides the new waterworks, to cost
S160 900, now in process of construction
we have now builing G. A. r. block
at cost of $22 600, new church cost
ing $12, 600, a new store on Commercial
street costing $1,000, not to mention
numerous residence and business
houses at less figures.
In few weeks work on the Santa
Fe stock yards. at a cost of $5O, 200,
will commence.
The Elinor double track will COM
mence at the same time. This, il is
calculated, will cost about $780, 200,
nearly all of which will be left in our
city.
Work is expected to commence im-
mediately on the new Normal addi-
tions. This will leave another s25. 900
in our midst.
As we stated before, these improve
ments of themselves are enough to
give boom to business and liven up
things in our city. But these are only
city improvements that merely, from a
casual inspection, would only promise
to make change for the time being.
But when they are looked on in the
light as showing that our citizens are
up and wide awake at last, and that
these are merely the forerunners of
such season of prosperity as has sell
dom been seen, and that they are to be
followed up by an immense amount
of labor upon the new roads,
by the building of factories, the boring
for oil, coal and gas, the immense live
stock trade which now centers here. to
be doubled and tripled, then we can
understand why capitalists from the
east who are able to obtain only or
per cent on their money are fiocking
out here. eager to invest in Kansas
dirt
And when we take into considera-
ton the fact that. with all her adyant-
ages, real estate in and around EN-
poria is nearly as cheap to-day as it has
been at any time within the last three
or four years, then we strike the key
note of explanation why Emporia dirt
should be in demand.
Again, Emporia has not had the
whole country surrounding laid out
into town lots at hundreds of dollars a
square foot to gnIl the '.tenderfoot.r
But every acre OF land in and around
her is-with the exception of two adj
ditions lying just on the edge of the
old town site and in ground now al
ready thickly covered with houses
just rs it was before the hurry started,
and with but little change in prices.
In fact the craze has not struck EN-
poria 20 such an extent as it has some
other places. where every house or lot
i'll town is for sale. There are lots of